New book release: SHARE THIS BOOK

10 June, 2013 - 17:32

This is a critical time in design. Concepts and practices of design are changing in response to historical developments in the modes of industrial design production and consumption. Share This Book: Critical Perspectives and Dialogues about Design and Sustainability traces the consequences of sustainability for concepts and practices of design and questions institutionalized practice from different perspectives. The main question is no longer ‘can we do this better?’ but rather ‘are we doing the right thing?’

“Longstanding boundaries within and between disciplines have locked us into specific ways of thinking. There is huge potential in starting from a different basis and in terms of different worldviews and priorities. For this, we need to reformulate design!”, says Ramia Mazé, senior researcher at Interactive Institute and one of the book authors.

Share This Book is composed of three main, authored sections, which present different trajectories through a shared inquiry into notions of ‘form’ and ‘critical practice’ in design. Johan Redström argues for another conceptual basis for form in design than those historically privileging the visual, drawing upon his own practice-based research work. Christina Zetterlund analyzes how definitions of design are made and presented through exhibitions through a series of historical examples and alternatives from her own curatorial practice. Ramia Mazé problematizes design roles in sustainable development, posing a series of questions and design examples that reveal the political dimensions of design practice.

The form of the book also embodies concepts explored in the book, and the result is a number of conscious design choices made by book designer Matilda Plöjel. For instance, the book has been designed to use as little paper as possible, it uses an ultra-thin typography created to save ink, it is printed on some of the last available paper from a local mill, and excess test sheets are reused as a paper envelope for shipping. Breaking with many of the unsustainable logics of large-scale publishing, the book has been published in collaboration with the forward-thinking Stockholm-based Axl Books.

The book is available in a limited print-run of 600 copies and a free electronic version (Creative Commons license). As there are few green alternatives for green distribution, it is up to YOU to SHARE THIS BOOK!

ABOUT THIS BOOK
“Share This Book” has been produced within the project “Forms of Sustainability”, which was funded by the Swedish Research Council between 2009-2011. The project was led by Interactive Institute Swedish ICT and Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design.